Families gather for a meal at the Flame of Faith Back-to-School Bash.

What started as a simple question at annual conference – "Who would know or be affected if your church closed today?" – turned into a bold step of faith and love of their neighbors at Flame of Faith United Methodist Church in West Fargo, North Dakota.

"It was said that if your church closes tomorrow and it doesn't affect anyone but those already within your walls, you are a social club, not a body serving Christ," recalled Elizabeth Ewing-Lee, lay member from Flame of Faith.

"The question really sat with my lay people," added Teresa Whetsel, pastor of Flame of Faith. "And at our first leadership meeting after annual conference, we talked about it, and the honest answer was 'probably nobody outside of our church members.' That didn't sit well."

"That started a conversation among the members from our church about how we can better outreach to our neighborhood," said Ewing-Lee.

They began brainstorming how to plan an event that would be a catalyst for the church to have a bigger presence in their neighborhood – specifically, the six blocks surrounding the church, which include many apartment buildings, lower-income housing, and Eastwood Elementary School. They landed on a back-to-school bash. Ideas for a dunk tank, bouncy house, and lawn games for families started to percolate. They reached out to the fire department about bringing a truck for kids to tour and asked the local library to bring their mobile library. Additionally, they had face-painting, cotton candy, and a free cookout.

Local school leaders ready to get dunked!

"We just had this vision that if we could do something big to show the neighborhood that we care, that the neighborhood would show up," said Pastor Teresa. "It was just beautiful."

Members of the church also did the work of invitation, hanging 600 door hangers in the neighborhood and dropping off invitations at the school and neighborhood daycare. Despite the big dreams and dedicated legwork, they weren't sure what to expect. Like many churches that take the risk to put themselves out there, they wondered if the invitations would be accepted.

The event exceeded their expectations. Nearly 150 people – including children, parents, school personnel, and neighbors – came to the event, enjoying an evening of laughter, fun, and connection. Even the principal and assistant principal from the elementary school showed up to take a turn in the dunk tank to the delight of the students attending.

 "Everything fell into place. It was just beautiful. God showed up," said Pastor Teresa.

The Holy Spirit also moved in the hearts of congregation members.

"I was so proud of our congregation!" said Elizabeth. "For the first bit of planning it, it felt like Pastor Teresa and I and a couple of others on the planning committee were the only ones who were really invested in it. Even before worship on the Sunday before, I was afraid we might not be able to provide all the services we had advertised. But all said, we had over 40 of our adults and youth show up throughout the day to help! There was so much help that we didn't always have tasks for everyone. It was amazing!"

The event's success went beyond attendance. Donation jars were scattered around the event to raise money for the school. Over $1,400 was collected. In addition to that, the event laid the foundation for ongoing impact and relationship with their neighborhood.

 "Our goal was for the neighborhood to know that we existed and that we care about them. We were not necessarily looking to increase attendance by neighborhood individuals. We want the neighborhood to know that Flame of Faith United Methodist Church is a loving and caring community that goes beyond our walls to be there for them," said Elizabeth.

Neighborhood kids enjoyed the bouncy house.

Pastor Teresa expressed the hope of what might come from this.

"The assistant principal emailed me and said, 'Let us know if you have other community events. We always like to promote those and be involved for our kids," shared Pastor Teresa. "I said, 'Absolutely! We will be in touch, and if there's ever any way we can be of service to the school – if you need grandparents to come in and read with littles, or you need school supplies, snacks, hygiene items, or cold weather gear – let us know how we can partner with you.' So, hopefully, it'll be a reciprocal type of relationship."

What began as a question – does it matter to our neighbors that our church is here? – turned into a celebration of God's love in action and a witness of Christ-like character and discipleship. Children and families left the event with smiles and fun memories and, even more importantly, with the knowledge that the church down the street sees them, loves them, and wants to be in relationship with them. The school and parents gained a new partner in supporting the flourishing of every student. And the congregation discovered the joy and power of stepping outside its walls in new ways.

"Our current focus is on the mission of the church and reaching out," shared Elizabeth. "After seeing how much fun all of those children had, and knowing how much good this event will provide in future supplies for the school, it definitely feels like we have taken one more step toward truly serving Jesus."